The purpose of the Theta State is unclear to us at this time. Some scientists believe that it originates in the hippocampus which is deeply embedded in our brains. Other scientists believe that theta waves originate in the cortex which is an outer layer of neural tissue in brain. We do know that the mysterious Theta state is where brain activity slows almost to the point of sleep. Therefore, it must be a bridge state between the Alpha and Delta states.

Scientists theorize that the Theta State plays a role in learning and short term memory. Perhaps then, the purpose of the Theta State is to remember what has been dreamed by placing it into short term memory. That would explain why many of us forget our dreams so quickly. Dreams may not be intended to be stored as long term memory. That is why I always stress that the best time to record your dreams is immediately after awakening in the morning.

In metaphysical circles the Theta State is believed to be the state where lucid dreaming occurs. A lot of work is being done in this field today. A lucid dream is like dreaming on steroids. You are dreaming but you are in complete control of the dream. Your conscious thoughts are guiding and creating it. The hope is that we can heal psychological wounds in this state by applying our own form of psychotherapy.

Researchers believe that at some point during the time we spend in the Theta State we begin to transition to another state. They call it the Gamma State because they believe that the brain is emitting gamma waves when it is in that state of consciousness. Tests on meditating Buddhist monks that were performed for several decades indicate the presence of gamma waves emitting from their brains as they enter and hold the Theta State. The monks enter this state as they believe that it is state where we can communicate with our creator.

The Theta State can be entered through deep relaxation techniques that result in achieving deep meditation. Unless you have an inborn talent for it,  achieving and maintaining the Theta State requires many hours of meditation.

I believe that I am in the Theta State when I “tune in” to get information at night from my guides to help solve missing person, missing pet or homicide cases. I sleep with a picture of the person or animal under my pillow so that my guides will know what information I need and for whom. It is the best time for me to communicate with Spirit.

When we drop through the Theta State we move into the last state in my discussion. The Delta State will be the topic of my next post.

© 2015 Cheri Mancuso and John Scarano. The contents of this post may be used only by express permission of the authors.

In our journey through the Alpha State the frequency of our brain waves has gradually dropped. In the Beta State the waves vary in frequency due primarily to the brain’s response to stimulation by input from the 5 senses. In the Alpha State the brain waves become more synchronized with far less variation as the brain is subjected to little or no input from the 5 senses. The control that the physical world has on the brain is significantly reduced.  As a result, we come into contact with our internal world. We have begun to contact ourselves and we can also achieve contact with a higher intelligence whenever we operate within the Alpha State.

When we enter Alpha level 4 we have reached the true dream state. This is where we experience Rapid Eye Movement (REM). Our eyes begin to flutter rapidly beneath our  closed eyelids. When REM occurs it indicates that we are dreaming.

Interestingly, we do not remain in Alpha level 4 for very long. Once REM is achieved, we return to Alpha level 1 and cycle back through to Alpha level 4. When we reach Alpha level 4 again, we drop through two other states, Theta and Delta. After a lengthy period of time in the Delta State we repeat the process by re- entering Alpha level 1 in the REM State and drop back through to Delta again. This cycle is repeated many times during the sleep period and the time we spend in the REM State increases with each cycle and decreases in the other 2 states until we awaken.

As I have discussed in other posts, we live in a universe that is cyclical and here we see that cycle being played out once again. The cycle of beginning-to-end and back-to-the-beginning-again is a very important one. This cycle is germinal as everything in our universe arises from this cycle and is subject to it. When we dream we are making positive use of this cycle.

Researchers have found that if a person is wakened during the REM State their dream recall is astounding. The sleeper is able to process the symbolism of the dream as it applies to themselves. Sometimes, however, the dream isn’t about us. We can envision things for others in the REM state. We are able to contact Spirit in REM State and this is the best place for it to have lengthy contact with us.

Communication with spirit comes in the form of symbols. Knowing how to decode these symbols in order to discover their message opens us up to different world. It opens us to to a world of personal and  spiritual advancement. Our dreams are very important.

In my next post I will discuss the Theta State.

© 2015 Cheri Mancuso and John Scarano. The contents of this post may be used only by express permission of the authors.

When we move from Alpha level 2 to Alpha level 3 an interesting phenomenon occurs. The sense of sound returns to us and it can cause us to awaken if the ambient sound is loud enough or indicates the presence of danger.

This new Alpha level has slowed the brain activity much further. The brain waves are very long and lazy. They have slowed down significantly in occurrence. This altered state of consciousness is very deep. This is where the Eastern Yogi goes when he or she meditates. The Yogi believes that by holding this deep altered state of consciousness for extended periods of time he or she can discover the secrets of the universe. They base this theory on the zero. That is, in nothing there is everything.

A good example of this occurs in the human body billions of times each and everyday. Neurons in our body produce a electrochemical wave that oozes  down through its body and exits through an appendage called a dendrite and is released to another Neuron. The electrochemical communicates something to the other Neuron. Although this synaptic process is extremely quick, there is a very small period of time when nothing is being communicated between the 2 Neurons. This is known as a synaptic pause. This is where the Yogi wants to go. He or she wants to be present in the nothingness of that moment and believe that they will  be connected to all universal knowledge.

In addition to deep meditation, the Alpha level 3 state is also where the medium goes when he or she is in the trance state. Only the accomplished and very talented medium can go into this state at will and hold it for an extended period of time. In this state he or she is in communication with the spirit of those who have passed on. In rare instances, the spirit can overtake the medium’s body and act and speak as if it were in physical realm again. This is a very dangerous task to perform as it requires an enormous amount of energy from the medium. It can be physically and mentally debilitating. I am a medium but I do not enjoy going into the trance state. I drop in and out of this state quickly when I ask to communicate with my clients’ loved ones. I do not allow them to overtake my body. That has been an exhausting experience for me in the past.

Lastly, the Alpha level three is the hypnotic state. This explains how the hypnotist implants strong suggestions into the mind of those who are in the hypnotic state by voice command. Communication by voice is highly suggestive here and causes me to believe that we are able to communicate with our subconscious in this state. The hypnotist implants these suggestions into the hypnotized person’s subconscious by voice command. These suggestions are so powerful that they control the behavior of a person completely without their conscious knowledge. Again, this is what the Yogi believes will occur if they can enter the state of nothingness. They believe that the knowledge they seek will be implanted instantly into their subconscious mind and can be retrieved whenever they acheive the Alpha level 3 state.

We have one more Alpha level to discuss. I will discuss the Alpha level 4 in my next post.

© 2015 Cheri Mancuso and John Scarano. The contents of this post may be used only by express permission of the authors.

In the Alpha 2 level the mind is in a delicate balance between being awake and asleep. All outer sensory input has been cut-off or muted. The mind in this level is highly alert and extremely receptive. The brain waves in this Apha level have slowed down and are more rounded than than they were in Alpha level 1.

The Alpha level 2 state is very hard to hold for long periods of time without extensive training. This level is an extremely useful level, especially if it can be sustained.

This is the state of:

• Light Meditation
• Intuitive Knowing
• Cosmic Consciousness
• Extra Sensory Perception
• Flashes of Insight
• Envisionment
• Out of Body Experience
• Astral Travel

This is the state where the psychic goes to retrieve information for his or her client. I move in and out of this state very quickly when I am “tuning in” for my clients. I usually look heavenward, close my eyes and ask my spirit guides to give me the information that my client requests. In a flash, they send me symbolic images that I interpret as quickly as they fly by on a television-like screen that I see in my mind’s eye. Then I return to the Beta State and explain what I have been shown. It sounds easy, but I assure you that it is not easy at all. The hardest part for me, at first, was interpreting the symbols that were sent to me via spirit guides. Also, it was hard me for to turn this state off at night. I received some excellent training from a metaphysical teacher that helped me to gain control over my psychic gift.

Many people who report that they dreamed about flying through the air and visiting someone in a far away place did so in the Alpha level 2. They were Astral Traveling. This is accomplished by lengthening the silver cord that binds the soul to the physical body. The silver cord can be expanded to any length, even as far as other planets in our universe!

When some people dream they have spoken with an angel, a spirit guide or a holy person they have done it in this state. They have gone out of body and traveled to the realm where the entity resides, conversed with them and then returned to their body in much the same manner as Astral Traveling. The only difference is that they traveled to another plane of existence.

In my next post I will discuss Alpha level 3. It is also a very useful state of altered consciousness.

© 2015 Cheri Mancuso and John Scarano. The contents of this post may be used only by express permission of the authors.

As I discussed in my last post, the Alpha State is divided into four different levels. When we lay down on the couch for a nap or for the night in bed we move from the Beta State to the Alpha State, level 1. This is an altered state of consciousness and it is one that some of us drop in and out of often during the Beta State in the daytime. This is level where daydreaming occurs.

In Alpha level 1, the brain wave has changed. It is a little slower and the wave is beginning to round off. Both sides of the brain are balancing. All sensory input is intact but muted. When the brain is balanced, this state is known as the “Rhythm of Genius”. This is where we go to solve complicated problems. Albert Einstein was known to pause, drop his head briefly and then return to a calculation with a possible solution. He was using the power of the Alpha level 1 whenever he did this.

This Alpha level is where you go when you are driving down the road and are thinking deeply about something. Before you know it, you’re driving without being aware of your surroundings or of your control of your vehicle. All of a sudden some sensory input like a loud noise causes you to snap out of that state and you are shocked to realize that you have no idea how long you were driving the car unaware. You were daydreaming in the Alpha level 1.

This is a hard state to control consciously. If you are able to control it, as Einstein obviously was, you are able to solve complex problems quickly. This may be due to the temporary suspension of reaction to sensory input. The brain is most likely now able to allocate all of it’s processing power to a single task by ignoring normal sensory input that is taking place around it.

When we enter into the Alpha level 1 as we lay down to sleep, it is the beginning of the entry into the Dream State. The brain is quieting down and the body is relaxed. A loud noise or a sudden cold breeze is capable of returning us instantly to the Beta State. We are far from asleep and far from dreaming. We have more Alpha levels to pass through before we reach the Dream State.

In my next post I will discuss the Alpha level 2.

© 2015 Cheri Mancuso and John Scarano. The contents of this post may be used only by express permission of the authors.

The Sleep State is a very important state of altered consciousness. It is reached by  moving through several distinctly different states of consciousness. Right now we are all in the Beta State of Consciousness. All of our 5 senses are functioning and our brain is highly alert as it constantly processes sensory input. If we were to look at this state as a brain wave it would be sharply spiked and fairly rapid. We are awake.

If we lay down right now, close our eyes and prepare to sleep or meditate we slip into another state of consciousness fairly rapidly. This state is known as the Alpha State. This state is divided into 4 levels of consciousness. They are Alpha 1, 2, 3, and 4. Each of these levels are distinct from one another and function differently . These levels are very hard to consciously maintain and hold for extended periods of time. The last of these levels is the actual Dream State. Alpha waves are produced by the Thalmus which is buried deep within our brain.

We all dream to some extent but not all us of remember our dreams.  Although many people would swear that they never dream, that is not the case. We know this to be true because there is a very small group of people who cannot go through the Alpha Dream State and as a result, do not sleep. This is a genetic disorder called Fatal Familial Insomnia. The victim of this genetic disorder gradually loses the ability to enter the sleep state by dropping through the Alpha State. Eventually, the victim exhibits dementia, falls into a coma and dies. Through this, we know that everyone must pass through the dream state every night or they would suffer the same fate.

In my next post we will begin to explore the 4 Alpha Levels and their functions.

© 2015 Cheri Mancuso and John Scarano. The contents of this post may be used only by express permission of the authors.

Now that you have the basics of the symbology of numbers and colors we can get into some practical application of those symbols and more. There is no better place to start doing just that than in dream interpretation.

Dreams are very important. They offer us a window into our unconscious mind and provide an opportunity for our Spirit Guides to communicate with us. I receive many psychic visions in the form of dreams at night when I sleep. Whenever I am trying to find a missing person or pet I place their picture under my pillow before I go to sleep. I do this because I know that my Spirit Guides will know that I am looking for information as to their whereabouts. This works because the photo has some of the missing person or pet’s vibration in it. This lets my guides know who or what I am trying to locate.

Dreams serve two important functions. They are either self-communicative or they are messages from Spirit Guides. When it comes to interpreting the messages from Spirit Guides you need to break down the symbols that they are sending to you. Here, everything is symbolic. Colors, numbers, people, animals, plants and objects become symbols that convey an important message from your Spirit Guides. Many times things and events don’t make sense. For example, you might dream that your father is dancing in a pink tutu which is something he would never do.

I believe that symbols are sent from Spirit Guides and function like shorthand. For some reason that is unknown to me, Spirit needs to be be frugal with the energy required to send us messages. Symbols are a great way to do that because one symbol can communicate a lot to us. My guides communicate with me by sending me images that appear rapidly on a screen that resembles a television screen.

When our sub-conscious is trying to communicate with our conscious mind the dream plays out like a movie. Here we try to face or fix our fears or perhaps our self-doubts and more. Usually, we feel some very strong emotions when we communicate with ourselves in a dream.

Our personal symbology becomes the decoder of self-communicative dreams. Your life experience has built a catalog of symbols for you. As a result, you are the only one who has the final say in the interpretation of a self-communicative dream

With practice you can easily distinguish the difference between these two types of dreams. My partner, John Scarano, and I teach Dream Interpretation in our Psychic Development course. We teach our clients how to interpret symbols and how to tell the two different types of dreams apart from one another.

In my next post I will discuss the Dream State and other altered states of consciousness.

© 2015 Cheri Mancuso and John Scarano. The contents of this post may be used only by express permission of the authors.

The color grey is a Feminine Lunar Symbol. It represents the exact middle of the scale between the colors black and white. As a result, it is neutral  and does not bear the symbolic qualities of either of those colors.

Grey is a Lunar symbol because it bears some of the qualities of the moon. As I have explained previously, the moon comes and goes with regularity. It is symbolic of that which is hidden, has yet to be revealed and will be revealed. Grey represents the veil that obscures what will eventually be revealed. The veil that obscures can also be in the form a fog or a mist. We know that a mist or fog will eventually be lifted.

Grey is an unemotional color. It is detached, neutral, impartial and indecisive . It is symbolic of depression and apathy. Grey is also symbolic of the fence-sitter who must eventually step down onto one side of the fence or the other. It also represents the absence of activity or change.

When I see grey in a psychic vision for a client during a psychic session it can have quite a few interpretations. If I see a person in grey I know that they are either depressed, lost, indecisive or neutral. They may also be wiling to compromise if that is in question during the psychic session. And the person could be unwilling to take any action even if it my client needs them to do so.

Very rarely, the color grey or a grey mist can mean that the spirit guides who are present during the psychic reading are not willing to give us the information we are asking for. They do this for a reason and the color tells me that they will divulge the information in good time. Most times, it comes up later in the reading when it makes more sense to my client and myself. And sometimes my guides are trying to protect my client from something that they are not ready to hear.

This brings us to the end of the symbolic meaning of colors. I hope you found this informative! Check back soon for more metaphysical posts.

© 2015 Cheri Mancuso and John Scarano. The contents of this post may be used only by express permission of the authors.

Many of the symbolic meanings for the color gold are universal. Gold is highly valued in every culture on Earth. Its value does not lie solely in its use as a unit of monetary exchange. Rather, it is universally symbolic of our creator. It has been for millenia.

When Gold is symbolic of the creator, it is a Feminine Lunar Symbol. However, when gold is symbolic of light and the sun, it is a Masculine Solar Symbol.

What is interesting about gold is the fact that it did not originate on our planet. The Earth was pelted with gold fragments at some time during its existence. That is why we find gold in so many locations on our planet. It is almost as if these gold fragments were a gift from our creator and we sensed it very early on in our development as human beings.

The legend of the alchemist’s quest to turn common metals into gold was not motivated by its monetary value. It was a quest to change low-vibrating qualities like greed, hate and selfishness into high-vibrating qualities like love, virtue and compassion through the process of self-purification. They were hoping to speed up the process by discovering a secret ingredient that could be used as a shortcut. This defined gold as symbolic of the transition of the soul from imperfection to perfection.

You will find gold used in many religious ceremonies, garments and artifacts. This is a direct symbolic use for gold as the color of our creator. The belief here is that the use of gold attracts the gold energy that our creator sends to us.

In some belief systems, the color of the Crown Chakra is gold. Here gold represents the spiritual wisdom that is constantly beamed down to us by our creator. The energy in that channel of communication is gold in color.

Gold is also symbolic of Heaven, divination, great fortune, universal fraternity, radiance, wisdom, clarity, virtue and light.

Gold or gold-colored objects are used in rituals to attract wealth. In meditation it is used to channel or verify the flow of spiritual wisdom. This is easily done by visualizing the Crown Chakra as gold-colored during a meditation. I do this quite often when I guide my clients through the meditation process.

When I see gold in a psychic vision for my clients during a psychic reading it can have a lot of interpretations. If I see a person in gold I know that they are one of the following:

• very spiritual
• getting ready to move to a higher level of spirituality
• going to make a lot of money
• mentally positive
• emotionally positive
• spiritually positive
• financially positive

We’re not done yet with the Symbolic Meaning of Colors! We have 2 more to go.

© 2015 Cheri Mancuso and John Scarano. The contents of this post may be used only by express permission of the authors.

The color black is the complete opposite of the color white and it t is every bit as powerful. Black and white are perfect examples of the Principle of Duality. For a color to be created from the reflection of all color there must be a color created from the absorption of all color. That color is black, the complete opposite of the color white. Black is created by mixing all of the primary colors together. This forms a muddy, brownish-black color.

The power of black rests primarily in its ability to absorb. This power is best exemplified by black holes that can found in our solar system and beyond. A black hole is a mathematically defined region of spacetime that exhibits such a strong gravitational pull that no particle or electromagnetic radiation can escape from it. Black holes  form when very massive stars collapse at the end of their life cycle. Once something reaches the event horizon of a black hole it cannot resist its powerful gravitational pull. We can only assume that objects that are pulled into the vortex of a black hole are destroyed. That is what black does. It can be a very a destructive color.

Black is a universal color. It is considered to be a negative color in all cultures. It symbolizes negative, evil, death, the still of night and the deepest recesses of the mind. Black does not always have negative symbolic meanings, however. Black can also symbolize intensified spiritual energy, communion with ancestral spirits, antiquity, spiritual maturity, and spiritual potency.

When black clothing is worn it signals power and formality. This the primary reason that black is worn at formal events. It is a sober, no-nonsense color that positions those who wear it as being serious and powerful.

In rituals black can be used to stop psychic attacks. A black object can be empowered in a ritual ceremony to absorb negative energy. When it is placed in the area where negative energy is present it absorbs and deflects the energy away from the occupants of the room. At a prescribed time the black object is discarded, taking the negative energy it absorbed with it.

When I see black in a psychic vision during a psychic reading for my clients I usually know that something is negative. If I see a person in black I know that person is to be avoided because they are negative and up to no good. When I see the color black over other colors I know that someone or something is negative but there will be a change that is determined by the other color or colors that rest beneath it. For example, if I see black over green, I know that the person or situation will “heal” and change from negative to positive.

We’re getting closer to end of the list of symbolic colors. There are 3 colors left. Don’t miss them!

© 2015 Cheri Mancuso and John Scarano. The contents of this post may be used only by express permission of the authors.